Posted by QuickReadAbout.com Staff in It is a misconception that a goldfish will mature only to the size relevant to the aquarium it lives in. If a goldfish is maintained in a small aquarium, give only a small amount of food every day, and change the water regularly, it will grow gradually and may live for some years, reaching the optimum size of at least 3 to 4 inches. It is a proven fact that the growth of a goldfish may be somehow diminutive in a small aquarium – a high composition of nitrates is known to hinder growth- but growth is slower, not supposed to cease abruptly.
On the other hand, if you would give the goldfish too much food, or if maintained in an aquarium that is not properly filtered biologically, the goldfish will simply mature to the point where the aquarium will not support the eliminated wastes and will surrender either to intoxication as a result of waste accumulation or to a disease caused by bad water maintenance.
If you want to keep goldfish healthy, do not keep them with other species of tropical fish for some reasons.
First, goldfish tend to flourish at the sub-tropics that means about 73 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not to mean that over this temperature level, it would kill the goldfish. It is just that they would thrive in lower temperatures. Cooler environment will have more oxygen supply that adult goldfish need for sustainable health.
Also, goldfish have the tendency to be more productive than other tropical fishes. As they mature, they can easily consume more food than the other residents of the aquarium. The other species may suffer from abnormal growth caused by malnutrition. At the same level, goldfish also eliminate more wastes than the other tropical fish. Some of the tropical fishes need a clean environment and goldfish will make this rather very hard to keep.
Goldfish are temperate creatures and they have the tendency to carry certain diseases and parasites and tend to resist to them as well. So, mixing the goldfish with other species can expose your pets to health problems they are not used to coping with.
The truth is, most species of fishes often seem to get along when they are still fries. As they grow old, however, trouble and aggression may begin. You might not observe problems at the start since aggressive behavior may occur at night time. For instance, certain species of tropical fish can become aggressive as they mature and would eventually pose a threat for your goldfish. A floating dead fish can be a clue to aggression.
Similar to basic aquarium keeping, do not give your goldfish more feeds than they can consume in a few minutes. Unconsumed foods disintegrate inside the aquarium and would eventually pollute the water. If food remains unconsumed, eliminate it.
A 30-gallon tank with pebbles and aquatic plants is recommended for goldfish. Never keep goldfish in a fishbowl or smaller container. It’s like living in a one-room house.
Goldfish are omnivores and they do not need special nutritional diet as other tropical fish. However, you should purchase food made especially for goldfish, since their diet needs are not similar to other species.
If you want to keep your goldfish a higher protein nutritional diet will also lead to a faster growth rate. Where goldfish are maintained in small or unfiltered fish tanks, it is not advised to administer high-protein food.